Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Purpleheart \Pur"ple*heart`\, n. (Bot.)
   A strong, durable, and elastic wood of a purplish color,
   obtained from several tropical American leguminous trees of
   the genus {Copaifera} ({C. pubiflora, bracteata, and
   officinalis}). Used for decorative veneering. See {Copaiba}.